Spare Time
by IReallyLoveSantana
Summary: When Lisbeth finds out about a large sex slave group in the states, she takes a break from her normal investigations to pursue them. In one of her "missions" she meets a young girl who reminds her of herself. Story is better than summary. Please R&R
1. Chapter 1

Her fingers moving quickly across the keyboard, Lisbeth's jaw locked. Disgusting. The young girl on the screen looked petrified, her arms and legs taped together and a strip of the grey tape across her mouth. She was bruised, obviously beaten, and by the looks of it, starved. In the bra and underwear she was wearing, her ribs poked out, along with various other bones. Lisbeth broke her eyes away from the picture and began typing again.

Scrolling down on the screen, she came across a description of the girl.

_15, orphan, loves to struggle. She'll scream every time and can take a lot before blacking out. If you want her to stop the struggle, all it takes is a few hits and she goes silent. Asking $100,000._

Gritting her teeth harder, Lisbeth found the messaging option. Seeing that the "dealer" was online, she clocked the button and a chat window popped up on the screen.

The keys tapping quietly, Lisbeth's fingers quickly typed a message.

_I want to see her. I have $150,000 I'm willing to pay._

_**She is a fine offer, but if you are willing to pay above full price, I will prove it to you.**_

_I am only in the state for two days; it has to be tomorrow evening._

_**I will have her ready by then. I assure you that she is worth the price.**_

_She looks so._

_**Alright, I have her at the Super 8 on route 38. Room six. Come around 7.**_

_Alright, she better be worth the money._

Exiting out of the website and clearing her history automatically, Lisbeth swiveled the chair around. Standing up, she walked over to the hotel bed and looked at the supplies she had laid out. A small silver briefcase was opened, exposing all of her weapons. The 9mm, the two switchblades, the small revolver, and the four magazines; two for each gun.

Taking off the dark grey hoodie she was wearing, Lisbeth laid it beside the weapons. Reaching beside the briefcase, she pulled on the shoulder holster and slipped the revolver into the specially fitted pouch. Also sliding the clips into their compartments, put the hoodie back on and zipped it up. After attaching the side holster to her waist, she put the 9mm into the slot and then the magazines on the other side. She took the two switchblades, slipped one in her combat boot, and then the other into her pocket.

Slipping into her familiar leather jacket, Lisbeth took one glance at the large mirror on the dresser. Her piercings gleamed in the dim light of the hotel room. She had come to Pennsylvania for this very reason. After hearing in the news about the state having the most sex trade, something flared up inside of her. Doing a few hours of work, she found the reason for the increase; a sex business.

Kidnapping girls between the ages of 13 to 20, the group would beat them into obedience and then sell them. They made about 2,000,000 a day. A _day._ That's 20 girls. Lisbeth had found her way into the site, looked at the patterns of how sickos bid, and then copied it.

Ending her gaze into her own eyes through the mirror, Lisbeth opened the door and stepped out into the empty hallway. Scanning it carefully, she ventured towards the elevator and made her way down to the lobby. Ignoring the stares from the guests down in the lobby, she stepped out into the parking lot.

Locating her bike, Lisbeth started it, revved the engine, and put on her helmet. Speeding out of her parking lot, she began towards Route 38.

The trip took an hour, thanks to traffic and the lousy speed limits. Coasting into the dingy motel's parking lot, Lisbeth parked behind the building and removed her helmet. Feeling a tingle of anticipation in her stomach, she unzipped the leather jacket and partially unzipped the hoodie, so that she could reach her backup gun, if needed. Kicking the stand out, Lisbeth slowly began towards the motel.

Circling around to the front, Lisbeth began reading the numbers on the door. Coming to the end of the first row, she realized that she would have to go up on the second level, as the doors on the main level only went to 6.

Climbing as soundlessly up the metal stairs as she could, Lisbeth came to room 8. Knocking lightly on the door, she stood expectantly, hands behind her back. After a few moments of silence, she heard an incoherent shout and then the door opened.

"You're a chick?" The man said as he looked Lisbeth up and down. "I didn't see a policy on the site." She replied coolly, casually trying to look around him. "Whatever, come in." He grumbled, turning around and motioning her inside.

Lisbeth followed the man cautiously. The inside of the motel was as broken down as the outside. Stained carpet coated the floor, an unclean bed sat in the middle of the room with a poorly made dresser and nightstand residing beside it. A small, ancient TV resided on a stand of similar quality to the other furniture. Taking note of her surroundings, Lisbeth followed the man farther back into the room, to a closed door.

"What's your name?" The man asked gruffly, turning around to face her. "Carmen." Lisbeth lied quickly. "Where you from, with that accent?" He questioned, raising a thick eyebrow. "Sweden." She replied. "Now who are you?" She said.

"Name's Jeremy." He replied shortly. Turning back around, he withdrew a key and opened the door. Turning on a pair of dim light bulbs, he reached inside the door and yanked a figure out.

Lisbeth kept her face expressionless as the girl from the internet tumbled to the floor. She raised an eyebrow skeptically at her as the girl looked up her, her eyebrows scrunched together, tears welling in her eyes.

"So what do you think?" Jeremy asked after a few seconds. "I want to try her out." Lisbeth demanded, raising her chin to look him in the eye.

"You'll have to pay for that." He said, roughly pulling the girl up from off of the floor. "You're already getting an extra 50,000." She shot back, taking the girl by the arms and pushing her down onto the bed. Her arms were still taped behind her back, along with her feet and the tape over her mouth.

"As long as I can watch, I guess its fine." Jeremy shrugged, walked over to the side of the bed. Coming up behind Lisbeth, he slowly pulled her her jacket. In one quick series of motions, Lisbeth reached in her hoodie, whirled around, and held the revolver to his chest.

"You make one move towards her or me, and I'll shoot you. Understand?" Lisbeth said coldly. Her eyes had shifted, hatred filling them. Jeremy nodded and slowly put his hands over his head. "Get on the bed." She instructed, motioning over with her head.

Jeremy stepped around her slowly, and then made his way over to the bed. He roughly pulled the girl off roughly and shoved her to the floor. Her body collided harshly and a groan was muffled by the tape. Lisbeth quickly struck the man in the crotch with the butt of the gun and he shouted. "Alright, alright." He said between clenched teeth.

Silently, Lisbeth rolled up the man's white t-shirt and reached into her pocket. Pulling out one of the switchblades, she flicked the sharp blade outwards and started towards Jeremy's abdomen.

_**Hey, if you're reading this, please leave a review. I don't know if I will continue this or not. If you think it's worth continuing, let me know. I obviously don't own the books these are based off of. I wouldn't be on fanfiction. So, let me know what you think.**_


	2. Chapter 2

Putting the gun barrel to Jeremy's head, Lisbeth pressed the tip of the knife into his stomach. Cocking the gun as he screamed, she forced him to stay as still as possible while she began carving into his stomach. Blood streamed out of the fresh cuts, coating his stomach. Jeremy cried out, but was silenced when the gun barrel dug in into his head harder.

Finishing her "artwork" Lisbeth stepped back. She had carved the word "bastard" into his stomach harshly. Blood began to stain the grungy sheets a dark red. Lisbeth then wiped the knife off and flicked the blade back in.

"You're my warning to the rest of your group. Tell anyone anything about us, and I'll hunt you down like a dog." She said coldly, pressing the gun further into in forehead. "Am I understood?" She asked, pulling the gun back away from his head, to his crotch.

Jeremy nodded quickly, his face contorted with pain. "Good." She said, turning her attention to the girl on the floor. The 15 year old stared up at her, her eyes deep and thoughtful. Lisbeth kneeled down next to her and began working at the tape. Using her black painted fingernails, she tore through the tape on the girl's wrists and ankles. She remained frozen until Lisbeth ripped the tape off of her mouth.

"Are you alright?" Lisbeth asked, placing a couple of fingers under her chin and tilted it up. "Yeah." The girl whispered breathlessly. "Are you afraid?" Lisbeth questioned, helping her into a standing position. "Uh, I don't know." The younger of the two whimpered. "Don't be." Lisbeth told her. She attempted to soften her expression, but grew confused when the girl's eyes widened with fear.

Lisbeth was shocked when the girl threw her to the side. As she hit the ground she saw why. Jeremy had gotten up silently and was staggering towards her, a pocket knife in hand. The girl landed a solid kick to his chest, showing surprising skill in self defense. He swiped the knife at her, catching her cheek and slitting open a large cut. The girl cried out, but didn't back down, and swung a fist into his stomach. Jeremy swore and dropped to his knees.

Lisbeth got back onto her feet quickly and stepped to Jeremy. "I told you if you touched her, I would shoot you." She said calmly, raising the gun. "No pleas-" Jeremy's pleas were silenced as Lisbeth squeezed the trigger. The pistol had a silencer on it, only emitting a soft noise.

Jeremy's body hit the floor, dead with a hole in his forehead. Turning her head slowly towards the girl, Lisbeth waited for her reaction. The girl had her eyes locked not on the body, but on Salander herself. "Come on." Lisbeth said, putting her gun back in its holster and stepping towards the door. The girl followed with some hesitation.

Lisbeth led the younger girl out of the hotel room and down the stairs. Picking up her pace, the twenty four year old turned to make sure that the other girl was still following her. She was, blood streaming down from the cut on her face.

Rounding the side of the motel, Lisbeth hurried towards her bike. Grabbing the helmet off of the handlebars, she handed it to the girl, who slid it over her head. Lisbeth kicked the stand back into place and got on the motorcycle. The girl climbed onto the back and put her hands on Lisbeth's shoulders. After starting the bike, Lisbeth squealed out of the parking lot.

The trip back to the hotel took less time, only 40 minutes. Lisbeth parked the bike in the parking lot and waited for her passenger to get off. As the girl stepped off, she stumbled and went down onto the pavement. Lisbeth hurried to put the kickstand out and then bent down next to the girl.

Lisbeth took the helmet off and leaned over to look the girl in the eye. A _lot _of blood had streamed out in the forty minute ride. The girl's breathing was heavier and her eyelids drooped. "Can you stand up?" Lisbeth asked her, taking a closer look at the wound. It was deeper than she had originally thought.

The girl nodded slowly. Lisbeth helped her into a standing position and wrapped a skinny arm around her waist. She felt the girl's muscles tighten at her touch. "I'm not going to hurt you." Lisbeth murmured, escorting her into the lobby.

The hotel's lobby was empty, closed for the night. The two girls made their way up to the second floor, to Lisbeth's room.

Once Lisbeth got the girl into her room, she sat her down on the bed and then went to lock the door. Turning around from the door, she walked slowly back to the bed. "What is your name?" She asked, sitting down beside her on the bed. "Regan." The girl's American accent was heavy, but Lisbeth supposed that she thought the same about her.

"Well Regan, how high is your pain tolerance. I assume it is high, am I correct?" Lisbeth questioned, tilting Regan's chin up to get a better look at the deep cut. Regan nodded. "Well, this is going to hurt." Lisbeth said, standing up and stepping across the room, into the bathroom.

Lisbeth returned with a small duffel bag. Sitting it on the bed, she began to pull medical supplies from it. Putting on a pair of rubber gloves, she opened up a suture kit. Grabbing a few cotton balls, she held them to Regan's mouth. "Bite down on these." She instructed. Regan took the cotton in her mouth and situated it between her teeth.

Lisbeth took an antiseptic sheet and wiped away with blood from the large cut. Finally getting it clean, she took the suture kit and picked up the clamp. Piercing the skin lining the cut, she began to sew it shut. Regan did her best to keep still, her jaw line rigid as she bit down on the cotton balls.

Finally finishing the last stich, Lisbeth leaned back. "Sorry. But if I had taken you to a hospital, the group would have found your name in medical records and come after you." Lisbeth explained, picking up the garbage on the bed and throwing it in the wastebasket next to the bed. Regan nodded and spit the saliva soaked coffin into her hand. Standing up, she struggled to keep her balance, dizzy from blood loss. She tossed the cotton into the trash can and returned to the bed.

"What now?" Regan asked, wincing in pain as her cheek skin stretched. "What do you want to do? You can go to the police, but I'm not coming with you." Lisbeth said, beginning to unarm herself.

Taking off her jacket and hoodie, she stood in a black tank top. She unbuckled the shoulder holster and set it on the bed. Moments later, a 9mm in a waist holster, two magazines, and two switchblades joined it.

"No, no police." Regan replied, shaking her head. "You don't want help?" Lisbeth asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Not from the police, no." Regan said, looking downwards.

"What do you have against police?" Lisbeth asked, unloading the revolver, then the pistol.

"My father was a police officer. My father also sold me to the man you just killed for $1,000."

_**Hi guys, author here. I'm not sure if I should continue this or not, considering I haven't gotten any feedback. Let me know if I should keep writing this, or if you want to know what happens. Thanks.**_


	3. Chapter 3

"Your father sold you?" Lisbeth asked, arching a bleached eyebrow.

Regan nodded. "I guess my dad knew them, and he told them some of the things he did to me, and they said that they'd take me off of his hands."

Lisbeth's pierced nostrils flared slightly as the new information was released. "Did your father rape you?" She asked, trying to gentle her voice, but only succeeded in softening the volume.

Regan nodded, closing her eyes for a second and then shuddering. "Why did you save me? Are you a cop?" She questioned suddenly, backing away from Lisbeth.

"I'm not a cop. I'm a….solitary investigator. I heard about the group that had you and hacked my way into their website." Lisbeth explained.

Regan nodded. "You know they're going to come after me, right? They're going to hear about the murder, find out which girl he was selling, and assume that I killed him." She said, her voice nearly emotionless. Lisbeth shook her head.

"Well they aren't going to find you." Lisbeth ended the conversation. She had made it her goal to keep this teenage girl safe from the bastards who had captured her. From the moment she had set eyes on her picture, there was something familiar about her. Regan reminded her of herself at age 15. Strong, hurt, a dark past, a resistance to show emotions.

Lisbeth walked over to her unpacked suitcase. It was always her policy to keep her bags packed in case she needed to leave in a hurry. Rooting through the carefully stacked and organized clothing, she withdrew a pair of black sweatpants and one of her countless black tank tops. She tossed them at Regan, expecting them to hit her on the back of the head, but the 15 year old whirled around on the bed and caught them in her hand. The teenager stood up, and made her way across the room, to the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, she began to change.

Lisbeth watched as Regan shut the door behind her. She couldn't wait until the group sent men after her. Then she could get her slender hands around their necks. She would make them _suffer_, come up with the most elaborate torture schemes yet. If there was one thing that could force her to show emotion freely, it was men like that.

Regan slipped the torn and bloodied white tank-top off and exchanged it for the black one. She and Lisbeth were the same size: skinny. She pulled off the tattered booty shorts and stepped into the sweatpants. Looking in the mirror, she refrained from flinching at the sight of the stitches. They were done neatly, yes, but still gruesome looking.

Lisbeth waited for Regan to emerge from the bathroom once again. She wanted to ask the fifteen year old about her father, but the way Regan had shuddered at the mention of him kept her from asking. She still remembered the details of her assault clearly, could feel the bastard's body over hers. Yes, she had gotten her revenge, but that didn't keep the memories of the rape from creeping up on her at any time.

Regan stepped out of the bathroom and her eyes immediately snapped to Lisbeth. She wasn't sure if she trusted the older girl. Sure, she had saved her, but that didn't mean she could be trusted. Walking slowly, she went and sat down on the bed, at the opposite end of Lisbeth.

"You don't trust me." Lisbeth said after a few moments of terribly loud silence. Regan looked up in surprise. How had she been able to tell?

"I don't trust anyone; it's not just you." Regan explained, playing with her fingers absentmindedly. Lisbeth tilted her head slightly.

"That's smart, and I don't blame you for not trusting just anyone." Lisbeth said, sliding down the bed to sit next to Regan.

"But I guess I'm going to need to earn your trust if you'll be staying under my protection for the next few days, you should probably get to trust me. So I'll tell you about myself. My name is Lisbeth Salander, I'm 24. I'm a 'professional hacker' and I do background checks and investigations for a living. And that is all you need to know, for now anyway." Lisbeth finished, raising an eyebrow as she waited for a response.

"Well, I'm Regan. I'm fifteen. My mom died when I was six, and that turned my dad into an alcoholic. A very violent, perverted alcoholic. The first time he put his hands on me, I was seven. I didn't even know what was happening back then. But when I figured out what was going on, I tried to get him to stop it, but he just got even more violent after that. Sorry, I went into too much detail; I doubt you want to hear this…" Regan trailed off, her voice cracking a few times during the period of speech.

Lisbeth carefully put a hand on Regan's shoulder. She wasn't sure about how to comfort people, seeing as she never really had to before.

"You can tell me whatever you want; I won't push you to tell more anymore or any less than you feel comfortable saying." The pierced and tattooed 24 year old said, slightly squeezing her hand on the girl's frail shoulder.

Regan was tall; 5' 8. When she walked, there was a slight limp, probably from an early childhood injury. The leg in question turned out to the side when she stepped, giving her a laid back sort of saunter. Her skin was pale, not as pale as Lisbeth's though. Her face was slightly sunken in, with a strong jawline that locked when she was angry or upset. She walked with a slight hunch, giving her an older appearance. She had the same slender frame as Lisbeth, with a defined collarbone that poked out under her skin.

"I'll be in this chair all night; considering I doubt that you're very comfortable sharing a bed with a stranger." Lisbeth said, standing up and crossing the hotel room. She sat down in a large, cushioned recliner near the window, which had the blinds shut.

"Alright, if I'm going to be with you for a few days, you need to get something right. You've been treating me like I'm a fragile little kid who's going to break down in tears if you touch me. My life is full of fucked up shit, but that doesn't mean I'm unstable with it. I've adapted to what happened to me. So no, I won't freak out if you sleep in the same bed as me." Regan said, standing up. Her voice was stronger, and her arms were rigid at her sides.

Lisbeth watched as a stronger persona took over Regan. She had to admit, she had been treating the fifteen year old like she was unstable. Standing up, she shrugged and made her way over to the bed. Regan watched as Lisbeth passed her and slid into the bed.

Regan turned and lied down on the bed behind her. Finally feeling her muscles relax for the first time today, she found a comfortable position, turned away from Lisbeth's side of the bed. Only minutes passed before she had fallen asleep.

_**Hey guys, I finally got a review! Yay! Thank you so much for the review saying that I should continue. But I'm not going to update again until I get two more reviews! In other words, I'm holding chapter 4 hostage. Mwahahahahaha. Good day. **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Warning: this chapter is kind of graphic. There is a rape memory. You've been warned.**_

She felt the cold steeliness of the handcuffs as they snapped around her wrists. Pulling frantically, her struggles were useless to the hard pieces of metal chaining her arms to the bedposts. The same restraints were put on her ankles, and she tugged at them. Regan whimpered as she heard several men laughing at her feeble attempts at escape.

Regan's eyes widened as the largest of the group of men approached the bed she was attached to. He grinned a yellow toothed smile and crawled on top of her. Forcing his lips against her's, she gagged at the taste of his mouth. It was soured by booze and tobacco. The man's large hands grabbed hungrily at her shirt and ripped it off. Regan had begun crying, tears streaming steadily out of her eyes as she begged him not to. Her body squirmed under his larger one as he began unbuttoning her jeans.

The rest of the men in the room cheered as the heavy, muscular man yanked Regan's jeans down her squirming legs. Regan sobbed out, only to be silenced by the man's lips once again smashing hers. She screamed into his mouth, and was silenced by a sudden slap to the face. Which was followed by another one and then a ruthless punch. Regan cried out and sobbed, quieter this time. But the blows kept coming, striking her on the face, throat, and chest. She heard more laughs and cheers before the heavy body got up off of her.

Realizing her eyes were shut, Regan slowly opened them, afraid of what she might see coming towards her. Immediately, a kick to the face by a booted foot snapped her head to the side and she screamed in agony. Blood gushed from her nose, staining the grungy sheets around her and covering her lips and chin. The sobs grew louder, as she was unable to control them.

One of the men stumbled up to the bedside and raised half full beer bottle he was drinking out off. Crashing it down onto Regan, the fifteen year old yelped loudly as the brown glass shattered over head.

Smelling the beer running down her face, Regan wished nothing more than for her to black out. But her body wouldn't give in and she was forced to watch as another one of the large men brought his knee down onto her chest, which was followed by several merciless punches.

The sound of ribs cracking echoed through the small motel room. The group of five men watched as the first man resumed his position over Regan's battered body. Blood streamed out of cuts on her rib cage as well as her nose. The blood didn't turn away the man, for he straddled her and ripped off her bra and underwear.

Regan now felt herself completely exposed. She didn't care about it; only wanted the intense pain to stop. But a whole new pain exploded inside of her as the man began to rape her. With every violent thrust, a new wave of agony ripped through her body. Regan again didn't notice that her eyes were squeezed tightly shut as she screamed in absolute anguish.

Lisbeth shot up in the bed as she heard the string of terrified whimpers emanating around the pitch black hotel room. She scrambled out from under the blanket and found her way to the light switch. Fumbling to turn it on, Lisbeth's slender fingers found the small switch, and she turned the lights on.

Regan's sleeping form thrashed in the bed, fighting off some unseen attacker. Lisbeth raced to her side and took a firm, but gentle, hold on her forearms. "Regan? Regan wake up." She said, keeping her voice at a hushed shout.

The fifteen year old's eyes shot open and she stared at Lisbeth in terror. Realizing the position of her hands, Lisbeth quickly dropped the fifteen year old's arms and stepped back.

Regan finally remembered where she was, and sat up in the bed slowly. She felt her face heat up with embarrassment, taking her mind off the sick churning feeling in her stomach when she had that dream. The dream that had been a reality.

"I'm sorry. I get a lot of nightmares." Regan mumbled, running a hand through her dark brown hair. Lisbeth nodded and cautiously crawled into bed beside her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The raver haired woman asked after a few minutes. She turned to look at Regan, who was already staring back at her.

"There's really nothing to talk about." Regan said, turning her head away from Lisbeth and lying back down. Rolling over, she stared at the wall across the room and eventually drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Lisbeth watched Regan fall asleep. Soon enough, the girl's breathing became quicker and a small moan came out of her mouth. Lisbeth sighed and debated whether or not she should wake the young girl up again.

Lisbeth flinched when Regan rolled over, ending up right next to her. The girl's body was rigid and her eyebrows scrunched together. Suddenly, the 15 year old's eyes shot open and she sat up.

"I don't think either of us are going to be getting any sleep tonight." Lisbeth noted, staring up at the ceiling. Regan nodded, getting out of the bed and stretching. The girl immediately snapped her arms back down to the side and sucked in a sharp breath.

"I'm going for a walk." Regan announced. She turned around to look at Lisbeth.

"At three in the morning?" The twenty four year old asked, getting up from the bed as well. She walked to the suitcase sitting in a corner and opened it. Lisbeth withdrew an extra pair of shoes she kept with her. They were an old pair of grey high top Converse, and were starting to fray around the edges. She tossed them at Regan. "I'll get you a pair of shoes tomorrow." She said, going back to the bed and climbing back into it.

Regan laced up the shoes and nodded at Lisbeth before stepping out into the hotel hallway. Once the door was shut behind her, she let her guard down. Jogging down the hallway, she made it to the elevator and emerged into the lobby.

Lisbeth waited a few seconds before slowly going to the door. She opened it and watched just as Regan disappeared into the elevator. She scurried to the stairwell and made her way down to the lobby.

_**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! Same deal this chapter; except I want three more reviews! Do it for Lisbeth! :D**_


	5. Chapter 5

Lisbeth reached the end of the stairwell just as the elevator doors opened. She waited until Regan had exited the hotel lobby before slipping out and following the girl out onto the street. She had no intention of letting the girl out of her sight until she knew that she was completely safe from the group.

Regan walked down the street, looking cautiously from side to side. She rounded a corner and saw a group of teenagers standing around the front of a store. She approached them confidently and went straight for the most attractive guy.

"You got a cigarette by any chance?" Regan kept her voice soft, with a little bit of an edge. She upturned a corner of her mouth as the boy reached into his pocket and withdrew a pack. He smiled at her and pulled a couple out of the pack. He handed them to her and grinned. Leaning in, she kissed him lightly on the cheek before walking into the store.

Lisbeth watched curiously as Regan approached a teenage boy, smiled at him, and got cigarettes in return. Her eyebrows raised as Regan kissed him on the cheek and then went into the store. Lisbeth closed the distance between herself and the store. She approached a window and peered inside, keeping her eyes locked on Regan.

Regan stepped to the back of the store and began looking at the shelves. She kept the clerk at the counter in the corner of her view and waited for an opportunity. At last, a phone rang from the back room and the middle aged clerk lumbered to the back of the store. Regan hurried to the front of the store and grabbed a lighter off of the rack. She quickly hurried out of the store and back onto the street.

Lisbeth watched as Regan smoothly shoplifted the lighter and exited the store. Making sure there was some distance between her and Regan, Lisbeth began following the 15 year old again.

Regan reached into the sweatpants' pocket and pulled out one of the three cigarettes. She stuck the filtered end in her mouth and lighted it with a few clicks of the lighter. She took a long drag and let the smoke stream out of her mouth and nose. The cigarette hung loosely out of her mouth as she walked down the street. Regan found her way to a bus stop and sat down. She would wait here until the next bus came, at around 5:00 am.

Lisbeth watched Regan from a distance of about 20 yards. She was smoking a cigarette of her own and watched curiously as Regan sat down at the bus stop, taking the cigarette out of her mouth and blowing smoke into the air. Lisbeth contemplated what to do. At last, she began walking towards the bench.

Regan nearly screamed as a hand was wrapped around her mouth and another around her neck. Just as quickly as the hands appeared, they released her and she whirled around. Lisbeth stood there, a skeptical, but still emotionless, look across her face. The twenty four year old circled around the bench and sat down next to Regan.

"And that is how easy it would be for them to get their hands on you." Lisbeth said, turning to look at the young teenager. Regan glared back at her and took another drag from the cigarette.

"Those things will kill you." Lisbeth said, withdrawing a cigarette of her own and lighting it. Regan couldn't help but smirk at her, before her face returned expressionless and she focused on the cigarette she was smoking.

"So why are you at a bus stop?" Lisbeth asked, blowing smoke out of her pierced nose. Regan finally replied.

"Why do you think I'm here? You seem smart enough to figure that out. I'm getting as far away from here as possible." Regan said, turning and looking at Lisbeth. Lisbeth shook her head a bit and looked down at her smoldering cigarette.

"You aren't going anywhere until I know you're not going to be in danger anymore." Lisbeth told the teenager, taking her cigarette and tossing it on the ground. She stomped it out with her boot and then gave Regan a sweet smile. Regan scowled back at her and got up from the bench. She began walking down the street.

Lisbeth rolled her eyes and got up from the bench. If she had to chase this kid around all night, she wasn't going to be happy. Lisbeth got up tiredly and followed Regan down the street.

"Please stop following me." Regan called over her shoulder.

"Fine. Give me my shoes." Lisbeth said, wiping her face clear of emotions and regaining a serious composure. Regan sighed and kicked the Converse off. She swiveled back around and kept walking, barefoot and all.

"And the shirt." Lisbeth said, raising her eyebrows. Regan pulled the tank top off smoothly and tossed it behind her without turning around. She continued walking down the street in a bra.

Lisbeth cringed as she saw the scars on Regan's back. The fifteen year old had continued to walk down the street, in a bra.

"Pants too." Lisbeth was sure that this would get Regan to stop. But the fifteen year old barely hesitated before slipping out of the sweatpants and continuing to step down the street. Lisbeth groaned softly before picking up the shoes and tossing them at Regan, hitting her in the back of the head. The older girl stopped walking and watched the fifteen year old walk away from her. Regan turned around and smiled, then slipped back into the pants and shoes. She kept walking determined to put distance between herself and Lisbeth.

Regan was in the midst of untangling the tank top when a group of teens emerged from an alley. They were the same from outside of the store, but this time it only included the girls and one guy.

"Hey there little skank." One of the girls, who seemed to be the leader, said, coming up and getting her face. "Look who's taking their clothes off in the street." The obviously older girl continued, smirking at Regan. Regan threw the tank top onto the ground and clenched her fists together.

Regan's already dark eyes darkened further, til the brown was almost black. "What the hell is your problem?" She asked, a steely edge in her voice. The older girl scowled and pushed Regan lightly backwards. The fifteen year old stuck her foot out behind her and caught herself. Regan

"Her problem is that you were macking on her boyfriend." One of the other girl's spoke up. Regan chuckled to herself and it angered the other girl.

"What are you laughing about?" She demanded. Her eyebrows were scrunched together and her smirk disappeared.

"Well, he must be blind or something. Because I have this huge cut on my face and he still went for me, despite 'dating' you. Let me guess, all he wants to do is fuck?" Regan said, quitting the laughter and pushing the girl back. That set her off, and she swung a wild punch, which caught Regan on the jaw. She swung back with lightening reflexes, managing to strike the girl twice, breaking her nose and sending blood gushing out of it. Her friends had launched themselves at Regan, taking her by the arms and holding them behind her back.

The older girl recovered from the blow and wiped away at the blood streaming down her face. She walked up to Regan, who was struggling to rip her arms free of the other kids' hold. The girl threw a few punches into Regan's stomach, and she doubled over in pain. The two dropped her and Regan hit the sidewalk, clutching her stomach.

"What should we do with her now Ashley?" One of the girls asked. Ashley, the leader, bent down next to Regan and forced the younger girl to her feet. The two other girls held her by the arms once again.

"Ready for round two?" Ashley asked. Regan suddenly used the two people holding her to jump up and kick both feet into Ashley's chest. The older girl fell down, the air knocked out of her and unable to suck oxygen down. Regan ripped her arms free of the surprised girls' hold and threw punches at both of them. They backed away quickly, going to retrieve their fallen friend and scurrying away with her.

The boy, who had remained silent during all of this, slowly walked towards Regan. "It really turns me on when girls fight. And I almost always go after the winner." He said quietly. The much larger teenager pushed Regan up against the brick wall, spreading his arms and pressing his hands on the bricks beside her. He leaned in towards Regan, but was stopped as she kneed him in the crotch. The boy dropped to his knees, then staggered back up and hurried away.

Lisbeth had turned around and begun to walk away when she heard a cry of pain far behind her. She turned around quickly and squinted at the figures at least a football field's distance down the straight, narrow sidewalk. She began bolting down the street.

By the time Lisbeth reached the site of the struggle, it was over and Regan stood, watching the boy scramble to get away from her. Regan turned around and was surprised to see Lisbeth standing there, breathing heavily.

_**Although I didn't get the reviews I had hoped for, I did get some alerts and subscriptions, so thank you for those. Next chapter, same deal. Reviews really mean a lot and as an author, I love hearing criticism and thoughts. Thanks!**_


	6. Chapter 6

"Told you I could take care of myself." Regan said, picking up the discarded tank top and pulling it over her head. Lisbeth shook her head.

"Yes, you barely avoided being beaten by a group of teenage girls and an overweight, hormone crazed boy. I'm sure that's almost as threatening as the group who will be coming after you." Lisbeth said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Regan frowned and began walking away from her.

"You can't take care of yourself Regan. I know you don't want me watching over you, but I'm not just leaving you on your own. If you refuse to get help from the authorities, I'm your only other option." Lisbeth stated. She wasn't about to let some fifteen year old that she had _saved _order her around.

"I've been taking care of myself for awhile now." Regan argued back. She felt heat rising to her face. She was surprised when Lisbeth grabbed her by the hair and began dragging her down the street. To Regan's own surprise, she found herself relenting and quitting the resistance against Lisbeth.

Lisbeth was relieved when Regan stopped fighting her. She cautiously released her hold on the young girl's hair and allowed her to walk beside her.

"So tell me about what happened the night you were….sold." Lisbeth said, keeping her eyes on the sidewalk ahead and making it seem as though she wasn't as interested as she truly was.

"Well, I was just sitting in my room and my dad just kind of burst in and led them in towards me. I had to strip and they looked me over. I guess I was good enough, because they handed my dad a stack of bills and forced me down the stairs. I tried to struggle, but there were too many of them and they used duct tape." Regan told the story like a war veteran might recall his first kill.

Lisbeth nodded and tried to study Regan's face. She was normally incredibly gifted at reading people's expressions, but Regan seemed to be just as gifted at hiding her emotions.

Eventually they made it back to the hotel. Regan's face had developed a nasty bruise on her jaw and cheek from where Ashley had managed to hit her. Lisbeth led her back up to the room and unlocked it. Both of the girls sat down on the bed and stayed there until the sun was up.

After watching the sun rise slowly, Lisbeth and Regan got up out of bed. Lisbeth gave Regan a pair of black skinny jeans and one of her less expletive t-shirts to wear until she got the younger girl some of her own clothes. She also lent her the Converse again and both of them got showers before leaving the hotel for one more downtown.

Lisbeth walked down the street next to Regan, pulling her small suitcase behind her. She ignored the stares of other street walkers. Lisbeth had gelled her hair up to a messy mohawk and had all of her piercings in. But as always, Lisbeth didn't care about what normal pedestrians thought of her.

After they got checked in at the hotel, Lisbeth took Regan to a small shopping outlet to pick out some clothing. The 15 year old had opted for dark t-shirts and skinny jeans, as well as a pair of plain black combat boots that they had found on clearance. Lisbeth was glad she wasn't some preppy dressing idiot.

Later in the day, both Lisbeth and Regan sat in the hotel room, watching the news. They had barely said a word to each other all day. But the silence wasn't really awkward. They were both strangely comfortable around one another ever since last night.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly did they do to you after you were sold?" Lisbeth asked during a commercial. She sat up in her chair and turned to look at Regan. The younger girl looked up, not a trace of surprise on her face, and locked eyes with Salander for a few seconds.

"They kept me tied up for a few days, didn't feed me and only gave me a little bit of water. I guess they wanted me weak enough to where I couldn't really try to escape or fight. And when I did, the first time they tried to do things to me, they did it anyway, but beat the shit out of me. I couldn't get up from the floor for two days. That happened a few times, most recently, about 10 days ago, I think." Regan recalled, attempting to keep the fear and trembling out of her voice. Her ribs still ached from the brutal kicks, and she was sure some of them were shattered.

Lisbeth nodded. "I just want you to know that they won't be running for much longer." Salander stated, her jaw tightening.

Regan smiled possibly the most pathetic smile ever made, but it quickly turned into a grimace of pain. Her hand snapped up to her lower chest and she clutched her rib cage.

Lisbeth quickly stood up and was at Regan's side in a matter of seconds. "What's wrong?" She demanded, her hand touching Regan's gently.

"My ribs…..I think one of them…..shifted out….broken." Regan panted out, feeling an intensely sharp pain in her chest. It felt like a knife.

"Here, sit down." Lisbeth said calmly, assisting Regan over to the bed. She gently sat the 15 year old down and had her lie back. The 25 year old carefully rolled up Regan's t-shirt and suppressed a gasp.

The 15 year old's rib cage stuck out clearly, as Regan was very skinny. Yellowed bruises covered her abdomen and rib cage, but that was not what shocked Lisbeth. What shocked Salander was how crooked many of the ribs were. They had obviously been broken and then healed wrong without medical attention. One on them definitely stuck out more than the rest, in the third set up from the bottom, the left rib was pointing up, at the very brink of tearing through the skin.

"Regan I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to push the rib back into place." Lisbeth said, placing her fingers delicately on the broken bones, earning a flinch and whimper from Regan.

"One, two-" and with that, Lisbeth quickly pushed the rib back into place. Regan cried out in agony and gripped the bed's comforter for a few seconds as the pain died away. Slowly, she sat up and wiped away at the water that had begun to pool in her eyes.

"Thanks." Regan said weakly, wincing as she stood. Lisbeth nodded and then got a pair of flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt out of the suitcase. She gave them to Regan. "I think we should both go to sleep." She said.

_**Hey guys, sorry I didn't get around to updating for awhile. But…here it is! Please leave some reviews and thank you for the ones who already did! You guys are amazing.**_


	7. Chapter 7

Lisbeth crawled in bed next to Regan and closed her eyes. She was deeply troubled since seeing Regan's chest. The younger girl had been through more than she had realized at first. The men were more cruel than she had thought at first.

Both of the girls eventually drifted off to sleep, but Lisbeth was awoken by a sharp rap on the door. She stood up quickly and raced around to Regan's side of the bed.

"Get up, quickly!" Lisbeth hissed, pulling the blankets off of her. Regan did as she was told and got up.

"Under the bed." Lisbeth ordered, pushing her down and Regan rolled herself under the bed. Lisbeth quickly grabbed her pistol off of the nightstand, checked to see that it was loaded, and opened the door.

"Hi, um, sorry to bother you so late, but have you seen this girl?" A large man asked. He held up what looked like a school picture of Regan.

Lisbeth studied the picture for a moment before shaking her head. "Sorry, no." Lisbeth said, looking back up at the man. He studied her for a few moments before squeezing past her into the room.

"What are you doing?" Lisbeth asked, keeping her cool. She gripped the gun tighter.

"I'm just checking." He replied.

Lisbeth quickly went over to the man and hit him as hard as she could with the butt of the gun on the back of the head. The man yelled out and dropped quickly, cradling his head.

When the man hit the floor, he had a clear view of under the bed. Ignoring the pain in his head, he grabbed Regan by the hair and yanked her out, earning himself a cry of pain. The young girl struggled against him, but he was much stronger than her.

Lisbeth watched as Regan was yanked out from under the bed. The man stood up, pulling Regan up with him. She looked absolutely terrified, clawing at the hand gripping her hair. Lisbeth shoved the gun in the man's face and he froze.

"Let her go." Lisbeth ordered through her teeth. The man slowly released Regan, who walked shakily forward. Lisbeth protectively ushered Regan behind her and kept the gun in the man's face.

"You won't pull the trigger." The man chuckled, reaching a hand up at the pistol. Without a second of hesitation, Lisbeth fired the gun, which of course was silenced, and the man dropped to the floor, clutching his chest for a few seconds before dying.

Lisbeth dropped the gun onto the bed and grabbed one of the dead man's legs. She drug him over to the closet. Within minutes Lisbeth had hid the body and scrubbed the blood out of the carpet.

"We need to leave quickly. When he does not return, they'll send backup." Lisbeth said, grabbing the suitcase and shoving on her leather jacket. Regan followed, still shaken by the sudden intrusion. In 10 minutes, they had gotten onto the motorcycle and took off.

Lisbeth and Regan drove for the rest of the night before stopping at a Super 8 motel. Lisbeth got off of the cycle after Regan and got the suitcase off of the bike. After they checked into a hotel, under fake names of course, they were finally able to relax.

"Are you alright?" Lisbeth asked, noticing that Regan was _still _shaking. It had been hours since the attack.

Regan didn't reply. Lisbeth tilted the younger girl's head up to look her in the eye. She was pale, and she was panting.

"Regan, what's wrong?" Lisbeth questioned again. It was then she noticed the large red stain covering Regan's shirt.

Lisbeth forced Regan onto her back on the bed and pulled her shirt up. There was a small, but deep, stab wound.

"Why didn't you tell be you were hurt?" Lisbeth demanded, quickly grabbing her first aid kit.

"You said we couldn't go to hospitals, so I was just going to try to stop the bleeding when we stopped." Regan said as she sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth.

Lisbeth quickly began wiping away at the blood and covering it with gauze and a bandage. Regan sat up once she was finished and winced.

"Always tell me if you're hurt. I might not be able to do anything about it sometime, but I still need to know." Lisbeth told her younger companion as she put away the medical supplies.

Regan and Lisbeth both changed into sweatpants and t-shirts. They were incredibly tired, and crawled into bed immediately. It was then that Lisbeth noticed that Regan was still shaking.

"Are you ok?" Lisbeth asked. She felt the girl's body tremble across the bed from her.

"The man that came in the room was one of the first men who raped me." Regan said, nearly a whisper.

Lisbeth's eyebrows rose and she felt a pang of pity in her chest. She rolled over to look at Regan, who was staring up at the ceiling. Lisbeth swore she saw a glint of tears in her eye.

Ignoring her normal instincts, Lisbeth rolled over and, to her own surprise, hugged her. Regan was just as surprised, but actually hugged her back.

"I won't let them hurt you again." Lisbeth told Regan. The younger girl nodded and then fell asleep. She was still wrapped in Salander's arms. The older girl didn't try to move, for Regan seemed to actually be sleeping soundly for once.

_**Ok, that was shorter than normal, and I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I just found out my mom has cancer, so that's been a shock. Please leave a review! Thanks!**_


	8. Chapter 8

Regan woke with a start from another nightmare. She gasped for air, and realized she was hyperventilating. Lisbeth woke up soon after, and then immediately began trying to calm her down.

"Regan, it's alright. Just breathe." Lisbeth said quickly, sitting up and turning on the bedside lamp. The wheezing teenager nodded and struggled to control her breathing. Soon enough, her breathing quieted and she managed to calm down.

Regan sat up slowly and wiped away at the sweat on her forehead. Lisbeth rubbed her back sympathetically and Regan gave her a weak smile.

It was 7:00 in the morning, and both girls got dressed. They kept everything packed incase they needed to make another hasty escape. Lisbeth decided that it was time to come up with a plan to bring down the sex trade operation.

"Where did they take you after you were sold?" Lisbeth asked, opening up her iBook and then accessing Word. Regan only had to think for a second before answering.

"Pittsburgh. The west side of town. They pretty much bring all the new girls to Jim's Motel. Jim is one of the group, so they get to stay there for free." Regan explained, shuddering at the memory of the place.

Lisbeth nodded and quickly typed down what Regan said, word for word. She also had a tape recorder going in her pocket.

"Do you know any of the leaders' names?" She asked next, looking up from the laptop.

"I was told to call the man in charge 'Sir', but I think I heard one of the other guys call him James." Regan said. By then, goosebumps were forming on her arms.

"But I'm not exactly sure. I was almost blacked out, because it was after one of my, um….sessions." Regan confessed, shivering again. Lisbeth felt a pang of pity, but decided to press on.

"Regan, I'm going to Pittsburgh to take down the men who did this to you. I know you don't want to go back there, so I'll find-" Regan cut Lisbeth off.

"No. I'm coming with you. I want to help you. I want revenge." Regan admitted.

"Regan. I don't think you really should-" Regan interrupted her again.

"Lisbeth, I'm coming with you." Regan said finally.

Lisbeth shrugged and raised a bleached eyebrow. She didn't argue back.

"Are you sure you can go back there?" Lisbeth asked after a few minutes. She doubted how Regan would react when she was faced with the men who had violated her countless times.

"I have to. I don't think the nightmares will stop until I do." Regan replied. She looked up from her hands to face Lisbeth.

Lisbeth saw the determination in the younger girl's eyes. But there was also a pleading that she couldn't ignore. "Fine. But we're heading out tomorrow." Lisbeth said. Regan nodded and then stood up.

"I'm going out for a smoke." Regan said, grabbing her lighter off of the bedside stand. She pulled her last cigarette out of the suitcase and exited the hotel room.

Lisbeth sighed and closed her laptop. She wasn't pleased that the 14 year old was coming with her. But the stubbornness reminded her of herself, so she respected it. Lisbeth had to admit; she like having Regan around. It was the closest thing she had to a sister she actually loved, except this one was younger.

Regan went outside of the motel and lit up the cigarette. She took a long drag from it, and leaned up against the side of the building. The young girl became lost in her own thoughts, and didn't see the van pulling up on the side of the street. She also didn't see the door open and two men come flying out until they were already on her, pulling her into the van.

Regan got out one good scream before her mouth was covered and she was thrown into the van. She prayed to God that Lisbeth had heard it in the room, and that she would come running out to the van any second. But the 24 year old didn't, and Regan watched as the door was slammed shut.

The van sat still for several minutes. Despite her struggles, the large men who had kidnapped her got her arms taped behind her back, as well as a strip over her mouth. She recognized two of them, both of which had had their way with her before.

Lisbeth swore under her breath as there was a knock at the door. It wasn't the knock she had taught Regan to use when she needed back into the room. She stood up, grabbed her knife off of the nightstand, and opened the door. To her surprise and suspicion, there was only a note taped to the door, and no one in the hallway.

Lisbeth took the note off and began reading the harsh handwriting.

_Thanks for keeping out girl safe until we could get to her. _

Lisbeth swore, louder this time, and ran out into the hallway. She quickly scanned the inside of the motel, but could find no trace of Regan, or her captors. A car horn caught her attention and her head snapped towards the front doors. She ran out into the street.

Just as Lisbeth got out onto the sidewalk, the van sped away, leaving tire marks on the pavement. Salander was sure that Regan was inside the van, and she wasted no time running back to her room and grabbing her bag. Lisbeth strapped it to her motorcycle and took off towards the direction the van had driven in.

_**Sorry I haven't updated in forever. I've been super busy with school and stuff. 8**__**th**__** grade's hard yo! But please leave a review and I'll try to update quicker this time!**_


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